Lost Puppy
by obsessive-fanfic-reader
Summary: Akira was accidentally left behind and is found by a raven who takes him home. Akira acts like a dog. After staying with the man for a while, Akira isn't sure if he wants to go home. Togainu no Chi Shiki/Akira, implied Akira/Kau
1. Lost Not Useless

So this came to me one day and i decided to write it and see what happened. This is my new story! Dont worry Im still writing the other one.

**Disclaimer:** I dont own Togainu no Chi

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Shiki glared at the pathetic life in front of him. The form was whimpering like a damn dog and shivering from the cold rain that continued to pelt his body. He had deduced that the body wasn't under the influence of Line, so there was no reason for him to still be standing there.

The raven had noticed a wound on the cowering boy's arm. Could he have possibly been in a fight? He would've been killed, the creature didn't even have a weapon on him.

Steeling himself for any possible reaction, Shiki moved towards the boy and unsheathed his katana as he did.

The form huddled himself further into the corner of the alley, then proceeded to growl and snap at him and took a defensive stance. Suddenly he saw the blade through his drenched bangs. A small whine escaped his throat and he dropped his stance. The long, sharp metal had hurt him before.

Shiki moved closer and eased his blade under the boy's chin, forcibly lifting his head. The blue eyes quickly looked up at him and then watched the sword warily.

The raven liked the fear emanating from the boy in front of him. Maybe he would let him live. "What's your name?"

The boy opened his mouth to say something but couldn't find the air to voice his name. His master had used a paralytic on his vocal cords, making it impossible for him to scream or talk. The only sound he could make was whimpers and whines.

"Cat got your tongue?" he chuckled darkly. Shiki caught sight of a dark leather collar and grabbed the small tag. "Akira?"

The silver haired boy nodded and looked down at the floor. Was this menacing man going to take him back home? Or was he going to become his new master?

Reading the dirtied tag a little more, Shiki found out who this 'dog' belonged to. "Arbitro's little pet. Run away, did you?"

He shook his head. How was he supposed to tell him that Gunji left him behind and he couldn't find his way back home? He had gotten the street names mixed up. Gunji had left him in an abandoned hotel so he could slaughter a couple rule breakers.

"You were left behind. Are you that useless that you can't even find your way home? Not even Arbitro wants you?" Shiki removed his sword, figuring that the boy was no threat. He was just cold and wet.

Akira whimpered at the thought of his master not wanting him. Arbitro had always treated him well, not as good as Kau but he never starved or was dirty. The fair haired boy liked laying with Kau at night and nuzzling into his 'brother'. He shook his head roughly. He was not useless, just lost.

Shiki liked this 'dog' and wanted to keep him. Akira seemed obedient and quiet. Plus he could use him against Arbitro. "Come," he commanded, turning away from the boy, hearing him shuffle behind him and follow.

The boy began to follow the man, hoping that he was going to take him back to Kau-kun. The raven was much faster than Gunji, making him drag his already abused knees across the rough pavement and made his wounded arm scream in pain. The fair haired male tried his best but it just wasn't fast enough.

After a couple minutes of walking, Shiki looked behind him to find the boy crawling after him, several paces behind. He growled when Akira finally caught up and yanked him up by his collar. "You're slow and you're getting yourself all dirty. No wonder they left you." The raven throw the dog over his shoulder and continued to walk.

That comment almost made the smaller male cry. He knew Gunji had a bad memory and would sometimes forget to feed, bathe and pet him. But Arbitro would always make sure he was taken care of. At the moment, all he had was this raven.

When he was picked up, the boy immediately began to squirm and growl. He wanted down. Akira didn't like being so vulnerable or defenseless and he didn't like being touched by strangers.

"Stay still, dog, or I'll leave you out here for the Liners. They'll tear you apart in seconds." Shiki wrapped his arm around the boy's legs, holding them down. He felt Akira relax slightly against him but he whined softly.

He was cold and he wanted to huddle against this man to steal his heat. But this man was keeping him still. Akira shivered reluctantly and sighed in submission. This was going to be a long, cold walk home.

=^.^=

Gunji and Kiriwar walked into the mansion. "Do you feel like we forgot something, Old man?"

Kiriwar looked at the blonde next to him. "Where'd you leave the pup?" he asked before looking behind them to see if maybe Akira was behind them. "You left him out there, didn't you?"

"It wasn't my fault. You didn't remember either! So it's not my fault I lost Akira!" he shouted at the man.

"You did what?!" Arbitro screamed as he came into the hallway. "You lost my baby?! I knew I couldn't have trusted either of you with him. Now he's probably out there in the cold, shivering and wishing he had his master's arms around him. Go out there and find him, you insolent bastards! And don't come back until you do!" he yelled dramatically at the two men in front of him, while pointing at the front door. "Kau-kun needs his friend back!"

Kiriwar looked at Gunji before shrugging and sitting on one of the white couches, soaking it. "Later, right now I'm hungry."

Arbitro screeched at the sight of his couch being ruined, grabbed both men by the shirt collar and threw them out into the rain. "Find Akira and I'll let you back in." With that he locked the door and went to find some towels to clean the couch.

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Read and review. Should I keep it or not?


	2. A Pain But Sweet

Thank you to **holly28** and **Bulletproof Romance **for being the only ones to review. It means a lot.

**Disclaimer: **I don't TnC.

**Warnings: **Shiki's a bit perverted.

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Shiki placed the smaller male on the floor, since he refused to stand on his feet, before heading to his bedroom.

The teen followed after the man but had a door slammed rudely in his face. He back tracked and went to go lay down by the fire place when a hand grabbed the scruff of his neck, pulling him off the floor.

"You filthy, grimy mutt! You left a trail of dirt and blood all over the floor." He hauled the body into the bathroom. "You're in dire need of a bath."

Akira immediately began thrashing about, lashing out with his nails, and growled. He hated bathing with anyone other than Kau. And it was all Gunji's fault.

=^.^=

"_Gunji, please give Akira a bath. He got into the garbage…again," Arbitro said as he lead Kau into the kitchen for dinner._

_The teen tried to follow his brother but a large hand grasped his collar, pulling him backward. Akira struggled and whined as he was dragged to the bathroom._

"_I don't know why I have to wash you. Why did you get into the garbage in the first place? What's in there for you? You shouldn't eat the garbage, kitty," Gunji chastised as he pulled an orange peel and small pieces of plastic from the fair hair._

_Akira snorted at the nickname the man called him. He had always called him that and he wasn't sure why. He called the small cat in his room 'Poochie'. Even Akira could tell that thing wasn't a dog._

_He was divested of his clothes and plopped into a lukewarm bath. The smaller male made a noise, trying to alert Gunji that he didn't like it. Akira didn't like bathing alone. For as long as he could remember, he had taken baths with one of the kids from the orphanage or with Kau._

"_What's with that look, kitty? Do you want me to get in too?" Gunji easily removed his clothes and clambered in before Akira could respond._

_It wasn't so bad, at least someone was in the bath with him now. Akira had never washed himself before, since he was too little at the orphanage or Arbitro would do it, and he looked to the blonde._

_Gunji smirked, knowing that he had to scrub down the teen in front of him. "This'll be fun."_

_The teen moved away at the smirk, almost fleeing the tub but arms around his waist pulled him straight onto Gunji's lap. He whimpered and wiggled in the grasp._

"_You're only making your situation worse by moving. Now stay still, kitty." The blonde ran his hand down the small, toned stomach into the silver, curly pubes. "I think I found Kitty's treat," he chuckled deviously._

_Akira yelped as a hand coiled around his cock and started stroking it. He began to fight roughly against the man. In the process knocking over bottles and splashing water all over._

"_Hold still! You're making a mess! Papa is gonna kill me if you don't stop!" Gunji yelled at him._

_Suddenly the door slammed open. Arbitro stood speechless in the doorway. All he saw was a flustered Akira being smothered by Gunji. It didn't take him long to jump into action and yank Akira out of the tub and into his arms. "Gunji, what were you doing? Akira is terribly upset!" Arbitro looked at the trembling form and noticed that the teen was clinging to him._

"_I was just trying to clean him off and he freaked out! Oh and I also started to touch his cock. He doesn't like that too much," Gunji said as he unabashedly climbed out of the tub._

"_Gunji, he isn't that kind of a pet! He's supposed to be Kau-kun's friend." The older blonde set Akira on the floor so he could properly dry him off._

"_How was I supposed to know? No one told me that!" The young blonde stomped out of the room._

_The teen didn't like being touched so intimately by the blonde. That was his private area and no one had rights there, except Arbitro or Kau. Akira looked down at himself and poked his cock until Arbitro slapped his hand away. He pointed at the open door and whimpered._

"_I know, puppy. I'll deal with him later. Let's get you into a proper bath and cleaned up." Arbitro carefully led the teen out of the bathroom into the older blonde's kingly one._

_=^.^=_

"Stop it! A bath is not that bad!" As Shiki got closer to the tub, Akira struggled harder and he began biting at his hand. "Stop that!" he growled. The raven finally lost it when teeth clamped down on his free hand. "Bad dog!"

Akira whimpered and slowly began to lap at the crimson liquid that flowed from the wound he had created. Master had said he was bad. Now Master was disappointed in him and he wouldn't get any treats.

Sucking on his blood seemed to calm him down considerably. Just like a real animal. "Does my blood taste that good, Akira?" Shiki purred into the teen's ear. He was seeing if he could get the fair haired male to blush.

The teen peered at the man from the corner of his eye as he nodded honestly. Master seemed to be enjoying the treatment but the wounds were starting to clot. Akira pulled away after gently kissing it.

"Now stay still." Shiki knelt next to him and removed his tattered red shirt. He was definitely going to throw that out. The raven undid the snap and zipper of Akira's trousers before the teen himself removed his pants and briefs.

If he liked it or not, this man was his master and he would do as he said. Akira knew he had to be exposed to take a bath and he did just that so his master wouldn't have another reason to take his treats away.

"In the tub," he ordered. After tasting his blood, Akira seemed a lot more compliant than earlier. Shiki just hoped he wouldn't have to offer him that every time he wanted him to listen.

The fair haired male slowly slipped into the steamy water. Akira curled his fingers around the rim of the tub for security measures. He flexed his fingers experimentally while Shiki grabbed something behind him.

Shiki took the hand-held shower head down from the cradle and brought it into Akira's eyesight.

The teen reached for it, only to be sprayed in the face. Akira jerked away and swatted at the shower head, even though there was no water coming from it now.

The raven released the trigger on the head after the teen moved. "No touching. This is for me only." Shiki reached and pulled him forward by his collar. "I don't want to have to tell you again to stay put." He began to once again to wet the sullied hair, then he shampooed the hair.

Akira purred softly as fingers worked against his scalp. This was much nicer than when Kau or Arbitro washed him down.

The man took the shower head back up and rinsed the soap out of the teen's hair. "Do I have to wash the rest of you also?" he inquired as he put the shower head out of Akira's reach.

The teen nodded before he sat back on his heels, baring his chest and stomach to Shiki.

The raven huffed as he grabbed the soap and rubbed it between his hands. He slowly smeared the substance onto the pale skin. Shiki ran his fingers over pebbled nipples; eliciting a gasp from the teen. One digit traced down a diagonal scar across the young male's stomach, then the identical one going the opposite way, making an X.

Akira shivered at the soft touches. The scar on his stomach marked him as Arbitro's pet. No one touched it, not even Kau, who had an identical marking. The fair haired male brought his hands over his stomach, hiding his scar.

"Do you not like me touching it or are you ashamed of it?" Shiki asked, gripping the younger male's wrists and moved them away. It wasn't like the teen could really fight against him.

Cocking his head to the side, Akira made a small, confused sound. He didn't understand the last part of what the man said. He wanted him to elaborate.

Shiki rubbed over the intersection of the scar, gaining a groan from supple lips. "So you don't mind me running my fingers on it. Does it mark you as Arbitro's?" He couldn't imagine the blonde doing something so gruesome and sadistic to someone, he was just too squeamish.

The teen nodded quickly and he moved away from Shiki's fingers. He didn't like him touching it, even though it felt good. It made him feel like he was cheating on Arbitro…but wasn't this man his new master? The raven hadn't taken him home, so until he did, the man was his surrogate master. He wanted to go home.

He tucked that small piece of information away for later and resumed washing Akira. Once he rinse him off and emptied the tub, he had the teen step out. If he didn't think he was going to get wet, he was wrong.

Once out of the porcelain fixture, Akira shook his entire body, flinging water everywhere. He stopped when a towel was dropped over him.

The raven tossed a towel at the shaking teen and patted himself dry with his own towel. "Stupid mutt," he grumbled while leaving the bathroom to his room. There, he went to his closet and produced a long shirt and boxers. Shiki didn't have much of a selection for pajamas since he slept in just his boxers. The raven grabbed the first aid kit on the way out.

He went back to the bathroom to find Akira gone. "Mutt, where'd you go?" Shiki went to the living room. The raven discovered a pale, naked teen curled up under a towel by the fireplace. "Mutt, get up. I need to dress you."

Akira heard the man's voice but didn't want to get up. His shoulder was hurting, making it hard to get around. The fair haired teen groaned and rolled onto his back, baring his entire body to the man. The raven hadn't hurt him severely yet, Akira felt relatively safe with him.

Shiki couldn't believe what was in front of him, almost offering himself up to him, begging to be taken.

Long, sinewy muscle wrapped tightly in pale skin, like a beautifully wrapped present. Blue eyes watched him lazily as he scoped him out. Full lips parted to take in a breath. Two claret peaks stood proud along the vast expanse of flesh, begging to be tweaked, licked, and bit. A perfectly round belly-button sat right below sensuous abs and above a light feathering of hair that went straight down to a thick bush of silver curls. Nestled in the curls was a limp cock. Two pale legs twitched slightly at the prolonged staring. The only thing that marred the beautiful creature was the scar across his abdomen.

A sharp whine caught his attention, pulling him out of his musing. Akira was trying to sit up. "Stay off your arm, Mutt. I'll bandage it in a minute." Shiki quickly dressed the teen in boxers, trying to make it as comfortable as possible for the both of them.

The teen was wondering why he was wearing shorts without underwear. He pulled at the waistband, flashing his cock as he did so. Akira pulled open the boxers and pointed inside.

"Do you not wear that type of underwear?" Shiki noticed the other male was extremely innocent and it would take a lot to make him embarrassed.

These shorts were underwear? That's bizarre. Arbitro dressed him in briefs, saying that they held him better. Akira inspected the shorts again and noticed the small button on the front and it had the place to take his cock out. So these were underwear.

Shiki brushed off the fact that he was ignored. What was he expecting? It wasn't like he could have a conversation with Akira. He took a hold of the teen's arm and inspected the cut. "How did you get that?"

The teen shrugged since he wasn't sure himself. He had heard a noise inside the hotel and ran away. Akira realized he must have gotten it on the way to the alley.

"It's not that deep, so it won't leave a scar." He opened the first aid kit and removed several items. "This is going to sting. Don't scream." Shiki rubbed antiseptic on the wound.

Akira winced but no sound escaped his lips. He clenched his boxers and tugged on them. Slowly the teen relaxed and tried to lick at the wound.

He flicked the teen's nose, receiving a whimper. "Don't do that. It'll get infected." Shiki placed healing balm and a band aid on it. The raven held the shirt up and slid it onto the small frame. As he tried to stand up, a pale hand gripped his pant leg. "What?"

The fair haired teen's stomach growled loudly, making Akira wrap his arms around it and blush.

So he was hungry? And that made him blush? Shiki turned from him before beckoning Akira to follow him. The raven went to the refrigerator and pulled out a container with Omurice. He had gotten the ingredients from outside Toshima. Shiki placed one on a small pan and began to heat it up.

As soon as the man opened the container, Akira salivated. He loved omelet rice! The teen followed the man at his heels, begging for food. Arbitro never let him into the kitchen, seeing as all the cooks would feed him. The blonde said that no one could refuse his cute face when he used his puppy eyes.

"I'm not feeding you until the foods ready, Akira. Now out of my kitchen." He shooed the teen away with a flick of his hand. Shiki flipped the omelet and let it sizzle a little before taking it off and placing it on a plate.

Before he placed the food on the table, he set his own omelet in the pan. Shiki set the plate on the small table and watched Akira stare at it with hungry eyes. "Go ahead, sit and eat it, Mutt."

Akira did just that. He sat on his haunches and whined when he couldn't see the food. Was this some type of test? He didn't like it, he was starving.

Shiki chuckled at the sight of the teen being teased by mere food. "Sit in the chair, idiot."

The teen snorted at the name but didn't move. Master was supposed to sit there and give him food. He got up on his knees and peered at the food waiting for him to devour it. Akira knew he wasn't allowed to touch it. Anything not directly given to him was not his.

"Do I have to shove it down your throat? Or did Arbitro not feed you food like this?" That would surprise him. He knew the man treated his pets exceptionally well. Shiki took his food out of the pan and sat down at the table, continually watching the teen for slight sadistic pleasure. But what he didn't expect was Akira crawling over to him and propping himself up, placing his hands on the raven's thigh and opening his mouth.

He was really going to have to feed the teen. "Eat your food, Mutt. I will not feed you like a child. Now eat." Shiki nudged Akira away and began to consume his meal.

The fair haired male whimpered and rubbed his face against the man's leg, trying to get some food. Akira hadn't eaten since this morning and it wasn't much since Gunji yanked him away from the table and took him out for 'hunting' of faux entrants.

"I'm not giving you a crumb. Go! Eat it or go to bed!" Shiki grabbed his collar and tossed him away. As he went to take a bite, he saw the teen sulking.

Akira didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to eat. Was it because of earlier? He didn't mean to make him mad. The teen slowly crawled over to the man and laid down at his feet.

Shiki felt the body heat against his feet and looked down. "Arbitro hand fed you," he mused out loud. The raven speared a piece of food and offered it reluctantly after the teen sat up. This was the only way Akira had ate. The man had plenty of time to change that.

He eagerly accepted the omelet and growled in appreciation. This was exactly what his stomach needed. Akira chewed and swallowed it, then opened his mouth again.

"This feeding will not be tolerated any longer after tonight. We'll share it 50/50. Bite for me and a bite for you," Shiki reasoned.

They finished the food in a span of five minutes, with Akira almost climbing into the raven's lap when Shiki tried to take two bites in a row.

"Bed time," the man said as he stood from the table. He'd do the dishes tomorrow. The raven went to his room and brought out a blanket and a pillow. Since the teen liked the fireplace, Shiki made his bed there. "Sleep here."

The fair haired male crawled from his place in the kitchen quickly and laid down. The blanket was soft and thick. He curled himself up in a ball, the blanket covering him by Shiki.

"You'll stay warmer this way." The raven leaned over him and placed a log in the fireplace. "Night, Mutt."

Akira reached up with his fingers and ran the tips over Shiki's cheek. Then he turned quickly onto his side and nuzzled his pillow. For some reason that made him feel giddy and slightly embarrassed. It was a quite intimate act between Kau and him.

For the first time in years, Shiki blushed. This teen maybe a pain but he could be sweet too. The raven stood up and went to his bedroom. He hoped there would be no dreams tonight or he'd have messy sheets.

After he was sure the man was asleep, Akira picked up his bedding and crawled to the raven's room. The teen laid his bed on the right side of the single bed and nested himself once more and promptly fell asleep to Master's breathing.

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Read and Review...you'll get more ShikixAkira that way


	3. Missing Memories

Not much to say this time. This has a bit of Akira's history in it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own TnC

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Arbitro sat in his bed with Kau curled around his side, tears still falling from his eyes as he slept. The white haired male missed his brother and wanted to go search for him but he wasn't allowed to until tomorrow. Gunji and Kiriwar were looking for Akira now and if they came back empty, Kau could look.

The man was looking through a photo album, concentrating more on Akira's pictures than anyone else's.

Had he done something wrong? Had Arbitro missed a sign of Akira not liking where he was? Something that made him possibly run away. The blonde traced the missing teen's jaw line lovingly from an old picture. He hadn't found anything yet.

On the adjacent page was a snapshot of Akira when he first arrived here nine years ago. The small six year old was staring at the camera blankly, clinging to Kau's shirt.

Kau and Akira had been in the same orphanage. They had even bunked in the same room, even though Kau was two years older. The two hadn't been close since one child claimed most of Akira's time.

That child was Keisuke, a brunette that bugged Akira to play with him every day. It was a depressing sight to watch him cry from the porch as Arbitro carried an equally upset child in his arms.

The teen laying against him shifted and gripped Arbitro's arm. At least the tears had stopped and Kau was nestled deeply into the blonde's night clothes. Slowly, gently Arbitro ran his fingers through the teen's hair and kissed his head.

The blonde remembered when Akira met Kau, Gunji and Kiriwar for the first time. It wasn't a pleasant event for Arbitro.

=^.^=

_Akira was still dejected and brokenhearted while walking into the Castle holding Arbitro's hand. "Keisuke is going to be okay, right? He gets picked on and beat up. Is he going to be okay since I'm not there?"_

"_He's going to be fine, Akira. He's a big boy, just like you." Arbitro smiled gently before picking him up. "Would you like to meet the rest of your family?"_

_The boy wiggled around until he was placed back on the floor. He didn't like being babied, he had legs and he'd use them. "O-okay." Akira grabbed the man's hand._

_Arbitro led the new addition into the dining room where a blonde, a raven, and a boy were sitting around a white marble table. "Gunji, Kiriwar, Kau, this is Akira. He's six. He's from Toshima Bunny Orphanage, just like you, Kau."_

_Letting go of the large hand, Akira walked up to the littlest stranger. "I know you. You slept in my room until last year. You were very quiet but you had lots of friends. Everyone cried the day you left."_

"_Really?" The boy didn't seem too happy about that statement. He cleared his throat before pulling Akira into his lap. They had something in common, something that connected them._

_The smaller male didn't struggle but relaxed into Kau's hold. The elder knew the pains of being adopted and the hardships of the orphanage, making Akira like him._

"_How come each time you come back, they get younger and younger?" the raven asked. "You adopted Kau at seven and now Akira at six. Are you a closet pedophile?"_

_Arbitro reddened at the accusation. "Kiriwar, that's an inappropriate question! Of course I'm not! How could you think of me so badly?"_

"_It's not my fault. Let the evidence show that you like 'em young," the man joked. It was so easy to make the blonde flustered._

"_He just caught my eye, you ungrateful punk! I saw him when I picked up Kau last year. You just be happy that I don't throw your ass out!" the man exclaimed in anger. Suddenly he clasped his hands over his mouth and looked at Akira who was watching intently. "Don't repeat any of those words, Akira. If you do, you'll be punished."_

_Confused, the boy nodded before slipping off of Kau's lap. He went up to Kiriwar. "How old are you? You look really old."_

_Despite the bluntness, the man smirked and said, "I'm 22. I'm old enough to be your father. So you better treat me with respect."_

_Suddenly, Akira was pulled by his arm to the right and slammed into someone. "That hurt! What's your problem?" the boy yelled with tears in his eyes. He was probably going to have a bruise from that._

_Completely ignoring the questions, Gunji looked Akira over before asking, "Can he sleep in my room, Papa?"_

_All color drained from the man's face. "No, he has his own room. Plus, what you just did doesn't make me want you alone with him. He'll probably come to the breakfast table covered in blood and bruises."_

_Kiriwar sensed a fight between Bitro and the blonde, so he motioned for Kau to follow him and Akira out of the room. There was no reason to submit Akira and Kau to that kind of scene. They went into kitchen. The man opened a cupboard and took out a container of candy. "One each, pups. Then we'll play a game or something."_

"_I won't hurt him!" Gunji yelled. "He's the new addition and I wanted to bond with him!"_

"_No. I will not make him share a room. That's all he's ever done. Akira will have his own bed and if he wants, he can bunk with someone. But I highly doubt it will be you." Arbitro went to leave but the younger blonde began to speak._

_Gunji pouted slightly. "He will sleep with me, Papa. If he wants to or not." The teen went to stomp off to his room._

"_Gunji, you can't make anyone do anything they don't want to. Akira will fight you tooth and nail. Yanking him around won't make him like you. Gunji, I also know you're curious and hormonal, and I will not tolerate molestation in this house. Especially of Akira or Kau."_

"_I'm not going to touch him! I promise, Papa. But what I don't get is: Kiriwar got to have Kau sleep in his room! Why can't Akira sleep in mine?" The small blonde wasn't going to rape the poor boy, he just wanted to get close to him._

"_Stop being so petty. He's not sleeping in your room unless he willingly wants to. That's final. Say one more word about it and you'll be grounded." Arbitro placed his hands on his hips and waited for Gunji to speak._

_Gunji growled before launching himself onto the other blonde. "He will, Papa. You just wait!"_

_Arbitro shoved the teen off. "You're grounded for two weeks. You are not to go outside, watch TV or touch Akira. Now off to your room," he said with a stern face._

_The blonde grumbled out of the room and slammed his bedroom door. Loud heavy metal music blared from behind the door._

_The eldest blonde entered the family room where Akira was sandwiched between Kiriwar and Kau watching TV. He sat in his recliner and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Arbitro hated disciplining._

"_Let's take your picture, Akira! It'll be the first one of you being a part of this dysfunctional, crazy family!" Arbitro said after a show ended._

_Akira wiggled closer to Kau and gripped his shirt as if the other was going to up and leave him. Arbitro was still a little creepy to him. "Okay."_

_The man went into the other room and grabbed the camera. "Scoot closer together, boys! I want you all in it." Arbitro raised the contraption, "Smile!" and clicked the button. Then he zoomed up on Akira and snapped one more. The blonde noticed belatedly that Akira didn't smile in either._

_Later that night, Gunji lured Akira into his room with candy. He got his revenge by telling the child ghost stories before bed. But the boy didn't sleep in his room._

_The small boy climbed into Arbitro's bed, only to ask him where Kau's room was. Arbitro was saddened by that fact but told him where it was anyway. Why couldn't the newest addition want Arbitro to protect him from the scary ghosts?_

=^.^=

Akira had slept in Gunji's room once and he had left an hour later due to the blonde 'accidentally' groping him. He steered clear of the other man as much as possible. Arbitro didn't blame him. Gunji was horny and violent.

Kau was the teen's favorite by far. Arbitro wasn't sure why but was glad it was him instead of Gunji.

He just hoped that Akira was okay wherever he was and that no one was hurting him.

The sleeping teen gripped Arbitro's clothes tighter and pulled himself fully on top of him, successfully knocking the photo album to the floor. Kau could feel the distress coming off Arbitro in crashing waves even in his sleep.

He hated coming in second to Akira. The man underneath him constantly left him to deal with something Akira did. Whether it be good or bad. But the younger teen always came to him when something went wrong or he wanted comfort and love, not Arbitro. That made everything okay because he wasn't second anymore, he was the best. The best at anything the younger needed him to be and he was proud of himself.

The white haired teen wanted his brother back so he could cuddle him instead of Arbitro. He wanted to wrestle Akira for the last snack and pin him to the floor. When he finds his missing brother, whoever has him will pay.

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Read and Review!!!!

Much appreciated!!!!!!


	4. A Little Destruction

Sorry for the late update! This chap is longer than the others. Thanks for all the reviews!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own TnC

**Warnings:** Spanking and a little fluff

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Shiki woke with a start at the sound of breathing other than his own. He grabbed his katana and launched himself over the bed to find a slumbering Akira. The raven sheathed his sword and gently laid it on the bed before kneeling beside the teen.

Said teen rolled over, still sound asleep. He tugged at his shirt, baring his stomach.

This teen had crawled into his room last night, just to sleep on the floor and be close to him. Shiki reached out and moved the silvery hair out of Akira's face.

At this contact, the teen stirred but didn't wake. He turned onto his stomach and nuzzled his pillow. It smelled like the man. Akira felt someone touching him but paid no mind to it. When he slept next to Kau, they became extremely tangled that if one moved, the other felt it.

The raven took in the supple curve of Akira's ass in his boxers. It was plump, firm, and absolutely delicious. Of its own violation, his hand crept closer to the backside. Just as it was about to make contact, Akira shifted and yawned before opening sleepy, blue eyes.

Why had his hand done that? Did he want the teen that way? Shiki wasn't sure. The raven hadn't had a lover yet, let alone been attracted to someone. He realized that he still hadn't moved his hand and quickly retracted it.

Still half asleep, Akira wrapped his arms around the air in front of him as if it were Kau. When his arms collapsed, he made an upset whine. The teen sat up and slowly recognized Shiki in front of him.

Carefully, the fair haired male made his way to kneel in front of Shiki and nuzzled his neck gently in thanks. He was happy this man brought him home, let him sleep in a warm room, bathed him, and fed him.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" Shiki shoved the teen away from him, who just laid where he landed. "That is not allowed anymore. You will only touch me if I give you permission, understood?"

Akira tilted his head to the side. His ability to touch was now revoked. Why was that not allowed? All he had done was thanked him. The teen made a confused sound as he sat up.

Shiki ignored him and went to the kitchen. He had a lot to do today. The raven had to deliver Line to Arbitro, buy clothes and food for Akira, and slaughter a couple Liners. And that male in the other room wasn't going to slow him down.

Curious, the teen followed the man and sat patiently next to the table. He watched the raven move languidly around the small kitchen, making food and that black smelly stuff Arbitro drinks. A grape fell from the counter and rolled past Akira, the teen crawled after it.

Since most of his food was prepared before hand, Shiki simply heated it up or placed it on the plate. "You'll be here all alone today, Mutt. I'll be gone only a couple hours, so don't worry." Shiki surprised himself by trying to comfort the younger male. Why would he do that? It wasn't like Akira could understand anything he was saying other than simple commands and words.

He looked over his should and found Akira's butt sticking out from behind the couch. The raven stalked over and yanked the silver headed teen out. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

Whenever Arbitro asked him something, he always said yes. That answer always kept him out of trouble. Quickly swallowing the grape, he nodded like the good little puppy he was supposed to be.

"Good." Shiki stalked back over to the kitchen and grabbed the plate of food and set it on the floor. The raven didn't want to fight with him about his eating habits right now. "Go ahead and eat while I get ready. Don't make a mess, Mutt." He strode back to his bedroom.

Akira scrambled over to the plate and gulped down everything on it. He didn't know what he just ate or care. He quickly cleaned up the morsels that had fallen onto the linoleum.

Usually after breakfast, Akira would receive the paralytic via shot and little white pill. He never liked it since the area was now bruised and sore from the repeated sticking. When the raven returned, the teen pointed at his collar and whimpered.

"What? Does it hurt?" Shiki knelt in front of him and unclasped it. It thudded against the floor as the raven stared at a large, dark purple bruise on the pale throat. It had been hidden beneath the leather collar.

"What is that from?" Could the collar have been on too tight? But then there would have been a ring all around his throat. Did Arbitro hurt him or was it an accident? He wouldn't find out until Akira either told him or Arbitro did.

The teen flexed his jaw several times while making a small noise. He hoped he was getting his point across. The paralytic was wearing off and he would soon be able to speak! Then his eyes focused on what the man was wearing.

The man was covered in black from head to toe. Black shirt, black pants, black trench coat with a tall, wide collar, and black gloves. The raven had a small cross necklace around his neck. And a briefcase was sitting next to the man. For the first time, Akira noticed the man's eyes were crimson.

Shiki didn't understand what the teen was doing. "That mark looks painful. Does it hurt?" he inquired while carefully prodding around it. When Akira jolted away from him, he knew he had hurt him. "Accident, that was an accident," the raven explained as he pulled Akira back. Shiki smoothed the fair hair gently in apology.

That finger was not nice, so Akira nipped at it when it went back to test his neck. Where was the needle? And where was his pill? The teen wasn't sure what the tablet did and Arbitro never told him. He just took it every day without complaint.

A small chuckle left Shiki when he was bitten. It was a cute move. Akira was a little feisty and the raven liked it. "Let's get you a band aid for some protection. I don't want that to chafe." The man grabbed the first aid kit from the table and removed a square bandage. "You are just full of bruises and scrapes, aren't you?"

The fair haired male grinned as he nodded, knowing it was a joke. He watched the bandage come closer to him and sat completely still until Shiki put his collar back on and stood up. Akira guessed he wasn't going to get his shot today or his pill.

The man went into the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. "Drink this. You haven't had anything to drink since yesterday morning." He handed it to him and pet his hair as Akira drank.

He liked this kind of treatment. A soft growl emanated from the pale throat after he drained the glass. Akira gave it back and rubbed his face against Shiki's leg in appreciation.

Even though he liked the gesture, Shiki chastised him. "There will be none of that." He put the glass in the sink before kneeling in front of Akira. "I'm leaving now. I want you to be good while I'm gone. Guard the apartment, Akira." He patted the hair a couple times before departing from the abode completely.

Akira waited an hour by the door for the man to come back before his bladder caught his attention. He knew where the toilet was at Arbitro's house…but where was it here?

Shiki wasn't quite sure why he was so gentle with Akira. Or why he hadn't thrown him out. Maybe it was because the teen couldn't speak, so he couldn't talk back. But that teen had a rough bite. His hand slightly hurt from last night.

He liked being depended on, surprisingly. Shiki had no idea that he enjoyed taking care of someone.

Akira was very much a dog in several ways but Shiki couldn't, look at him like that. The teen was a human, he had a brain and feelings. The raven didn't want to exploit him and hurt him.

The raven could now see the outline of Arbitro's mansion. He wished he didn't have to deliver Line today. Shiki shouldn't have to since he delivered some yesterday but Arbitro had called him, distressed about there not being enough Line in distribution.

That blonde was getting on his nerves. He was always whining to him about his executioners every time he went to drop off Line. If that's all this meeting was about, it was going to be a boring day.

"Ah, Shiki, what a relief!" Arbitro cried as Shiki walked through the door. "Any second now, Liners are going to be rushing my beautiful house!"

"No one is here for miles." Shiki chucked his briefcase at the blonde. "There's your Line. I need to be on my way." He turned abruptly and made for the door.

The blonde caught it awkwardly. "Wait! I-I wanted y-you to keep an eye out for someone," the older man said nervously. "My pet was left outside by one of my executioners. He's gone missing. A-and I was h-hoping you would look for him."

Why would he look for someone he already found? "That's not my problem. Have your executioners find him." He wasn't going to just hand Akira over, he was going to make Arbitro work for him.

"They're already looking for him! The morons have no leads! Akira will be dead by the end of the week," the blonde whined. "My poor baby."

The raven didn't have the time for this. "What do I get out of helping you find your stupid pet?" The faster he got out of here, the quicker he got home or what was probably left of it.

"Huh?" Arbitro looked at him dumbly for a second, then recovered. "Anything! Anything you want. I just want my baby home. Kau-chan wants his friend back."

Was the blonde that desperate? "How long has he been missing?" Might as well get all the details and find out what really happened to Akira.

"A day. Gunji left him in an abandoned hotel and never came back for him." A tear slid from underneath the white mask on the man's face. "He's probably scared and defenseless. Those Liners better leave him alone. One mark on his pretty little body and I'll kill them all!"

Shiki was surprised by the outburst but did not show it. Arbitro was showing his fatherly, protective love of his missing teen. "Is there a chance he ran away?"

"No!" he spat vehemently. "He was happy here! Otherwise he would've told me! Akira wouldn't have left without saying goodbye to Kau or Kiriwar."

The raven shrugged. "I'll do it. I'll look for him…when I have the time." It couldn't hurt to make Arbitro sweat a little.

If Shiki knew what his apartment would look like when he got home, he wouldn't have bought them takeout and he would've tied Akira up outside.

His carpet was spotted with several unknown substances. One of his couch cushions was obliterated and its stuffing was tossed about the room. The kitchen cupboards were open and food was littered on the floor, counters and the table. The bathroom door was wide open and a little bit of water was soaking into black boxers in the middle of the room.

To top it all off, a naked Akira crawled out from behind the settee, covered in food and couch insides. He stopped in front of the man with a large smile before rubbing his face on the man's thigh. The teen was happy he was home.

"What the hell did you do to my place?" the raven shrieked. "I left you alone for four hours and this is what you do!"

Akira flinched as the man yelled. He knew he had made a mess but it wasn't all his fault. That couch cushion had looked menacing and needed to be dealt with before the raven got home and accused Akira of being a bad guard dog.

Shiki grabbed the teen by the back of the neck and dragged him to the closest stain. "What is that?" A large spot of bright yellow stood proudly against the white carpet.

The smaller male sat back on his heels and pointed to his crotch. It was urine. He was ashamed of himself since he knew how to use the bathroom but he didn't find the toilet in time. But Akira knew where it was now. It was in the same room as the bathtub.

He was livid. "You peed on my carpet? Aren't you potty-trained? Or did you urinate on Arbitro's floor also?" Shiki shoved the teen's face directly into the wet spot and ground his nose in it, making Shiki kneel.

"Ngh…no," he whispered and jerked back against the hand. But he didn't get very far. That smell was horrid. Akira was surprised that he even said anything. His throat was slightly sore and his voice was gravelly from no use. So he chose not to speak anymore.

"Did you just say something?" Shiki inquired as he released his hold on the pale neck.

If he was smart, he would've kept it to himself, but instead he nodded. The teen just hoped that the man wouldn't ask him to speak again. Akira didn't want to, it was against the rules.

The man looked at him curiously. "Have you been able to speak this entire time? Why haven't you talked more?"

The teen shook his head, then shrugged his shoulders. That was as clear of a message he could give without talking more.

"I want to hear you. Say something," he ordered. Shiki wanted to know what his voice sounded like. "Anything, Mutt."

He shook his head once more and squirmed away. Now the man was going to make him talk. Akira backed into the closest corner, covering his mouth.

Understanding that the teen didn't want to speak, Shiki went back to the task at hand. "This is not the bathroom!" he growled as he yanked the smaller male forward by the collar. To make sure this didn't happen again, he was going to have to punish Akira. "Did you pee anywhere else?"

Akira shook his head fiercely as he stared the stain he made in the face. He had enough sense to pee in one spot. The teen pushed and scratched at the man's hand on his neck.

"Stop that! You need to be punished for ruining my house." The raven sat cross legged and pulled the teen across his lap. The squirming teen struggled harder, but a firm slap to his bum made him freeze.

He just got spanked…and hard. Akira whimpered and went to move off the man but another slap made him rethink it. Kiriwar had spanked him before but it never hurt this bad.

The steady sound of flesh smacking together filled the room along with Akira's pain filled whines. After the bum in front of him was a dark crimson color, Shiki relented. "Do you know where the bathroom is, Mutt?"

The teen carefully and slowly lifted himself from the man's lap and gingerly made his way to the bathroom. He sat on the cool, wet tiles to soothe his abused ass.

Why the hell was there water on the floor? "Mutt, what the fuck happened in here?"

Immediately, Akira pointed to the sink which was still running. He had tried to clean up his mess but he couldn't get the stain to come out. Then the faucet wouldn't turn off, and for some odd reason the water refused to go down the drain when he put a cloth in there.

Shiki stalked over to the sink and turned the handle to the off position. "You've got a hand towel clogging up the drain, idiot," he chastised as he yanked the cloth from the drain and rang it out. "So you tried to clean up but you just ended up making another mess. You're going outside while I clean this up. I can't have you making any more. Then you'll take a bath. You're covered in…stuff."

Hearing the word bath, Akira shook his head and scurried out of the room. He hid his naked body behind the couch and kept watch for the man.

It wasn't hard to find the teen since there wasn't anywhere else to hide other then the bedroom. Shiki easily grabbed him by his hips and yanked him out. "Dirty, filthy mutt." The raven dragged him outside to the balcony and slammed the sliding glass door shut, locking it.

The cold air hit his wet skin, making Akira whimper and try to get back inside. The teen pressed himself against the glass, whining loudly. Was this because he wouldn't take a bath? Akira would take one now, it was freezing out here.

The raven ignored the teen outside as he cleaned his once pristine carpet. Shiki had a hard time not looking at the adorable sight Akira was making, so he would sneak small peeks at him while scrubbing harshly. There was what he guessed were chocolate sauce, strawberry jelly, pickle juice, mustard, and barbeque sauce stains on his carpet. And the chocolate sauce bottle was still missing.

The small teen was leaning on the glass, shivering, watching the raven clean up the mess he had made. He wanted in. Akira cocked his head to the side and pawed at the window. Why wouldn't it let him in? It let him out. Did it only react to the man's touch? The teen hoped not, he could possibly be out here for hours. And what if the raven forgot about him? Akira would die!

Akira frantically began pounding on the glass as he began to sob. He didn't want to die. If the raven let him in, he'd be better and not make any more messes. "S-sorry!" the teen cried out. "Sorry!"

The dull thud of fists smacking the sliding door, made Shiki come out of the bathroom, where he found the chocolate bottle in a puddle of sauce. That's when he saw Akira's frightened face and heard him screaming. Did he hurt himself? No, there was nothing for him to do so. "Mutt, what's wrong?" he asked concernedly as he opened the door.

The teen flung his arms around the raven's legs and cried into them. He couldn't stop himself from speaking. "S-sorry! Bad," he whimpered. "Be good." Akira looked up hopefully at the man. "P-prom-mise."

Seeing the smaller male so upset made Shiki's chest hurt. He needed to calm him, so he pet his head gently. The raven understood what Akira was saying, surprisingly. "Mutt, you're tracking more dirt into my house. You're not being very good," he joked lightly.

Immediately, Akira backed out onto the balcony while looking up for approval from the man. There was no reason to make the raven more angry with him.

"Let's get you in the bathtub. You can watch me clean up the mess _you_ made." Shiki thought that the teen had panicked because he wasn't able to see him. He leaned down and picked Akira up bridal style and brought him to the tub. "I'll wash you when I'm done."

The smaller male clung to Shiki as his body was placed into the cool ceramic enclosure. There was no water in the basin, confusing Akira.

"You'll get a bath _after_ I clean up. Just stay put." Shiki pet his head again and began to mop up the water on the floor.

The tub acted like a small playpen for the teen. Akira stayed inside and would make small noises when Shiki ignored him for awhile.

Bath time was easier this time. Shiki was prepared for the body shake at the end and quickly dropped a towel on him. "Mutt, what the hell happened while I was gone?" he asked as Shiki led Akira to the kitchen for dinner.

The fair-haired male pointed to his stomach. He had gotten hungry but he didn't know how to make anything. So he just went through the entire refrigerator and tried several different bottled foods. The only one he liked happened to be sticky, brown and the way to get it out was to pounce on it, that's why it was all over the floor.

"You destroyed my house to get some food? There will be no more of that. When I'm gone, this room is off limits, understood?" Some of Akira's habits irked him, especially with food. He needed to teach him to eat normally, along with waiting for him to come home. Shiki took the cool takeout out of the plastic bag and placed it in the microwave as he got out a couple paper plates. He wasn't in the mood to wash dishes.

Akira nodded sharply. He wouldn't have gotten in trouble with Arbitro for what he did today because he was never left alone. Someone was always with him; Kau, Arbitro, or Kiriwar. Gunji wasn't allowed near him without someone else in the room.

The smell of warm food hit his nose and Akira salivated. It was just take out but he never got it at Arbitro's. The only food he got was healthy and an occasional sweet.

"Here, Mutt. Be careful, it's hot," Shiki warned as he placed the food on the table, wanting to see what Akira would do. When all the teen did was stare, he grabbed the smaller male and placed him onto the chair.

"Not a-allowed. Bad," Akira whimpered and moved to get off when a strong arm barred his escape. The teen squirmed against the limb. "Bad," he whined again.

"It's fine, Mutt. If I didn't want you up here, I wouldn't have put you up here." Shiki picked up a fork and got a forkful of food. "Eat, Mutt."

The teen took the food happily and began to squirm once more. Sitting like this was uncomfortable and he wanted to sit like he normally did. Akira gripped the man's arm so he could move into position.

Shiki sighed. He was going to have to sit down with him and teach him some manners. "Can you eat by yourself?" The raven didn't feel like standing there and hand-feeding Akira.

The teen leaned forward and began to wolf his food down. Akira hadn't learned that the man wasn't going to take his food away after a certain amount of time like Gunji would.

"You're going to choke if you continue to eat like that," the raven commented while tucking into his own plate.

Akira slowed down his food inhalation and watched the man eat. He ate like Arbitro and Kiriwar; with those funny, metal utensils. Akira finished his meal at a slower pace. The teen then met a dilemma. He wanted down.

He turned towards Shiki, losing his balance and promptly fell from the chair with a thump. "Owe." Akira twisted onto his knees and crawled to the raven, nuzzled the man's knee.

The raven couldn't help but chuckle at the teen. "Are you alright?" he asked as he ran his fingers through the soft, light locks.

The teen nodded and rested his cheek against the raven's thigh as the man finished his meal. The gentle fingers in his hair were putting him to sleep and he didn't fight it.

Shiki emptied his plate and left it there as he looked at Akira a little longer. This teen had been naughty and destroyed his living room but the raven wasn't mad at him. The smaller male was charming and innocent to him. He liked having him here and didn't want to give him back yet.

The older male knew he liked the teen and wanted to keep him here. But he also wanted Akira to be happy and Shiki wanted him to want to stay here. "Mutt, let's go to bed." When Akira didn't move, Shiki slowly, carefully lifted him up and carried him to his blankets.

Akira felt a warm heat against him and he nuzzled into it. "Karasu," he whispered quietly as he inhaled the man's scent.

"Raven?" Shiki questioned himself. "Did you just call me raven?" His question was left unanswered as he laid the teen down and covered him up. "Night, Mutt."

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Thanks for reading! Please REVIEW!


	5. A Compainion for Akira

I know its been a while since I've updated. But here's your chap!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own TnC

**Warnings: **Akira speaks like a small child because of his limited vocabulary, lots of fluff and a tiny bit of smut

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Since neither of Neanderthals could find his missing pup, Arbitro deployed his remaining puppy. "Be careful, Kau. Don't hurt yourself," he cautioned as he pet the white locks. "And don't get lost."

The teen nodded. This wouldn't be hard to do. He knew Akira's scent better than anyone else. Kau looked up at Arbitro as he handed his leash over to Kiriwar.

"Let's get going," the man grumbled. "That means you too, chick." The raven grabbed the blonde's hood and yanked him to follow.

As soon as the men were out of his sight, Arbitro went downstairs to see his littlest pet. No one knew about this one, not even Kau. He unlocked the boy's cage and urged him to come out. "Come on out, Rin, it's okay. We're all alone now."

The young boy was only trained if something was to happen to Kau or Akira. Since he had gotten him at such a young age, 3, Arbitro didn't have to worry about him speaking, he never learned how to.

He smiled at Rin and pet his hair. "There might be a use for you yet, pup." And that was only if Akira turned up dead.

=^.^=

Shiki fed Akira from the chair this morning and it went smoothly. The only thing was trying to get the teen to eat with a spoon or chopsticks was impossible. The smaller male didn't have the coordination.

Now the teen was sitting in front of him, looking innocently at him. "Since you decided to rummage through the cupboards and refrigerator, destroying any food in them; I have to go shopping. Just to make sure you don't destroy anymore of my house, I'm putting you outside."

Akira shook his head. "Be good!" he cried as he gripped the raven's pants. "Be good, Karasu!" He clung tightly. The teen was afraid that the man wouldn't come home and he would be left out there until someone rescued him.

"Mutt, calm down. It's just for a little while, maybe an hour and a half." Shiki pointed to the balcony. "Your bed is already out there," the raven said as he pulled Akira's hands from his pants, then he opened the glass door.

The teen pouted slightly and whined. "Karasu, no. Be good!" Akira scurried over to him. "P-please, Karasu?" He nuzzled the man's thigh for good measure.

"No, Mutt. Don't be such a chicken." He leaned down, only to have Akira move away. "It's okay. It's just for a little bit and then we can eat something good, unlike the porridge this morning."

The younger male began to tear up. Was this man trying to kill him? Had he done something wrong? He probably shouldn't displease him anymore.

"Why does this make you so upset? Nothing is going to happen to you. You're going to be fine." Shiki squatted in front of him and slowly extended his hand to Akira. "If something happens, I'll fix you up, okay?"

Even that promise didn't quell his fear. He sat on his haunches and waited for the man to be more convincing. Akira wanted to be reassured that the raven wasn't trying to desert him.

"I'm giving you five seconds to get out there before I put you out myself," he threatened. "Five…four…three…two…" the teen hadn't moved an inch. "One." Shiki wrenched Akira forward by his collar and tossed him outside roughly. "Stay out here until I get back. And don't try to leave, I will find you." He didn't regret his harsh treatment, he had warned him and he didn't listen.

He didn't like being handled so callously and snapped at the man. "Hurts," he whimpered.

Shiki leveled himself to Akira. "Don't be sad, Mutt. It's completely safe here. There are no Liners for miles." He gently mussed the teen's hair before smiling slightly at him. "An hour and a half. I'll be home and we can have some lunch, maybe Omurice?"

Akira lit up at that. "Hour, promise?" He had a rough estimate at how long that was.

"An hour and a half tops." Without thinking, Shiki kissed the teen's forehead. "Stay safe, Mutt." The raven stepped back and closed the door before grabbing his katana and left his apartment.

The teen was stunned and was left staring after the man, wanting him to do that again.

=^.^=

After leaving the supermarket in the West Side of Japan, it was down pouring on top of Shiki's head. He hoped that it wasn't raining on Akira. His balcony didn't offer much cover.

=^.^=

Said male was getting a shower outside. Akira did not like this at all, it was cold. He burrowed into his bed and tried to stay warm.

A small noise made the teen poke his head out from underneath his cover. A small gray cat hopped from the fire escape to the balcony.

The cat sat in front of him, getting soaked. The teen lifted the blanket, offering the feline shelter. The animal slithered next to Akira and gave him an appreciative meow.

"Kitty," Akira dubbed that small fur ball laying against him. The teen never had an issue with other animals since he had come into a family with a pet already. He gently stroked the cat's head and felt the purr that emanated from it.

The teen felt the blanket getting sodden and squirmed away from it, only to find the entire cover wet. "Uh oh," he said childishly. What was he going to do now?

Even though the blanket wasn't much protection from the rain, Akira stayed hidden underneath it. He was still getting wet, considering the bottom of the blanket was on wet concrete and sucking up the excess water there.

Finally he wiggled out from underneath and sat pathetically in the rain. Akira didn't want to but the soggy cover wasn't helping. The teen hoped that the man would come home soon and let him get warm.

=^.^=

It didn't take long for Kau to get a trail. He determinately followed it, even in the rain. The teen wanted his brother back.

"Call it off, Kau. Let's wait for better weather. I'm soaked to the damn bone!" Gunji complained before turning on his heel and heading towards the mansion.

The teen ran after him and bit his calf, receiving a harsh blow to the face in return. He let go and was picked up by Kiriwar.

"Chick, 'Bitro isn't going to be happy that you hit Kau. He's going to have a pretty nasty bruise." The man was struggling to keep a hold on the teen as he continually fought to get down.

Gunji turned to face his partner. "I want to go home, Old Man. I'm done looking for Kitty for today."

"Then go. 'Bitro won't let you in, you know that. We need to find Akira if we want to get back inside. Kau won't stop until he finds Pup. I rather not piss of 'Bitro right now so I have to stay with him." Kiriwar set the teen on the ground, holding onto his leash tightly.

"I'm not stupid, Old Man! I know what Papa wants but I'm tired of looking! If Kitty wants to be found, he will be." Gunji then stomped off.

"Still acting like a baby even in his 20s. Stupid chick." Kiriwar looked down at the younger male. "Let's go look for Pup."

=^.^=

He finished slashing a Liner and was finally getting home. Shiki had blood all over him, coating the few shopping bags in his hand. The raven needed to get back. He had taken three hours and he had a feeling the teen was soaked thoroughly.

Once Shiki walked through the door, he saw Akira sitting in the rain. The raven put the bags on the counter before going to the teen. "Mutt, you're drenched! Why aren't you under the blanket, idiot?"

Akira was numb and was barely registering what was in front of him. All he felt was the matted fur of the cat currently curled in his lap as he ran his hand over it.

Shiki kneeled next to the teen and tilted his chin up, taking in the dazed eyes. "Let's get you warm, you're freezing." The raven grabbed him under the armpits and lifted him up, the younger automatically snaking his legs around his waist.

The teen gripped the feline before it fell to the ground. "Kitty," he whimpered when the cat sank its nails into his hand.

"What is it, Mutt?" Shiki hadn't seen the cat until Akira brought it up to his face. "What are you doing with that mangy thing?" The man recognized the feline as the frequent visitor when it rained. No wonder she was here.

"K-kitty c-cold. A-Akira co-old," he whimpered, wrapping his arm around the man's neck and nuzzling the juncture there, still holding the cat to his chest. "Karasu came home," he mumbled.

The raven brought him inside as he whispered, "Of course I did. I couldn't have left you if I wanted to." That was the first time Shiki had ever heard Akira refer to himself.

He brought the teen to the bathroom and placed him on the toilet. "Hand me Kotsugai*. I'll dry her off." Shiki carefully opened the younger male's hand and cradled the small cat in his hands, placing her on a towel.

Akira whimpered when the feline was taken from him. He reached out after the pet only to have his arms brought over his head before his gray shirt was pulled off.

Shiki divested the younger of all his clothes and patted him dry with a towel. "Stay here with Kotsugai. I need to get you some clothes." The raven picked up the cat and towel, putting her in Akira's arms. "Warm her, Mutt."

As the man left, Akira rubbed the cat dry with the towel. Slowly, the feline began to make noises and leapt down from the teen's lap to rub against his leg in thanks. "Kitty is welcome."

"Kotsugai likes you, that's good," Shiki commented as he came into the bathroom. "Your lips are still a little blue. Let me dress you and we'll sit by the fire for a while." The man knelt in front of Akira and began to put clothes on him.

The raven carefully lifted the teen up and brought him to the fire. "Stay here. I need to change." He was surprised that Akira hadn't smelt the blood on him. The rain must have washed most of it away then.

After the man dropped a blanket around his shoulders, Akira laid down on the floor. "Sleepy," he whispered. The gray cat sauntered up to him and laid down by his side.

"Mutt," Shiki said quietly after a few minutes, running a hand down his back. "Come sit with me on the couch, it'll warm you up faster." He carefully eased the teen up, upsetting the cat with a half-hearted growl.

"Not allowed," he whispered while trying to pull out of the man's grip. "Bad, Karasu." Akira moved away, almost putting his hand in the fire if the raven hadn't pulled him roughly by the thermal shirt.

"You almost hurt yourself. Now come with me." He jerked the teen up and dragged him to the couch. "I don't care if this is against your damn rules. You listen to my rules now. Mutt, you are allowed to sit up here only with me."

Shiki carefully brought Akira over his lap, letting the teen straddle him. "I know you're tired. And since you destroyed a couch cushion, you can't lay out."

He didn't like this position very much, he felt vulnerable, like the man could see every inch of him. Akira bent forward, to somewhat protect himself, and sniffed the raven's neck. "Blood."

The man chuckled deeply. "I tend to get splattered with it when I kill," he deadpanned. What he wasn't expecting was Akira's reaction.

"Gunji, O-old Man smell too," he said with a small smile. "Icky." Akira sniffed his neck again but this time he gave it a long lick. "Yummy." The taste of copper bit into his tongue but there was a sweeter taste underneath. The teen went back for more.

The wet muscle was pleasurable, so he didn't push him away. "Is that so? Those scoundrels smell like carnage also?" Shiki's hands moved to Akira's hips and rubbed gentle circles there with his thumbs.

Akira gripped the man's biceps before nipping at the pale throat once. He was in a playful mood and wanted to see how the raven would react. The teen leaned back and looked at him with a smile on his face.

So the little pup wanted to play? Shiki brought the teen's hips down to his, brushing their groins together. The raven enjoyed it but Akira jerked away roughly, falling from his lap.

The teen landed flat on his back, making Kotsugai dash out of the room and hide. That motion the man had done made his cock tingle and stir. Suddenly Akira was afraid it was time for his heat. "No," he whined and backed away from the man. He took off into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Now he knew his boundaries vaguely, no touching his crotch. But now he had to get the teen out from the bathroom. "It's okay, Mutt," Shiki said through the door. "You can come out. I won't touch you anymore." He hadn't bothered to barge in, wondering if the male would trust him.

Akira shook his head. "No!" He hid himself in the bathtub and closed the curtain. But the teen knew this would be the first place the man would look. The small male then slid between the wall and the tub, crouching down to hide proficiently.

Obviously the teen didn't trust him. He inched the door open, waiting for the younger to shove it closed. "Mutt?" Shiki was met with an empty room.

Had he escaped? No. There was no way for him to, unless he found some way to open the rusted shut window. So he was still in here. Shiki slowly went about the room, as if not to frighten Akira.

When he was by the tub, he ripped back the curtain. No Akira. Perturbed, the man turned on the water. Shiki knew he didn't like baths and maybe this would draw him out.

Akira whimpered at the noise and suddenly wished he hadn't. That man had a good sense of hearing.

He heard it, it was almost inaudible, but he heard it. Akira was still in here and close. "Mutt, come on out." Shiki took a couple steps away from the tub and noticed the shock of fair hair that peeked up from the side. "Hello, Mutt," he said as stooped in front of the small hunched figure.

"Karasu, please no." He knew he was a lot of trouble for running off, surely a spanking. Akira backed up until he hit the wall. He was trapped.

"Come out here, Mutt. You're not in trouble." Shiki extended his hand to the teen only to have him growl at it.

Couldn't he just leave him alone? If he was in heat, Akira didn't want the man to see. It was embarrassing. The teen would isolate himself away from anyone, even Kau, when his heat came.

"What is wrong with you? Get out here." It looked like the teen wasn't going to come out when Akira snapped angrily at his still extended hand. "I have something for you. But you can only have it if you come out."

The teen stopped growling and took a tentative move forward. "No time-out?" he asked. "Promise?"

"Yes, I promise. Now come on out, Mutt." Shiki backed away a little to let him out. But Akira still stayed crouched in the same spot. "You want to see it first?"

The younger male nodded quickly and watched as the man strode out of the room. He hastily pulled his pants out and looked at his cock. It was completely normal. So he wasn't in heat…yet.

A gray feline head popped around the corner and stared at Akira. She meowed and sauntered away, as if beckoning him. The teen immediately began to follow. As he exited the bathroom, he smacked into the raven's knee, even though the cat easily evaded the man. "Owe."

"So you followed Kotsugai out but not me. What does she have that I don't?" he asked with a hand behind his back. The raven was disappointed that he wasn't the one to lure him out, but that damn cat. She's out once dawn breaks.

Akira looked up at him but didn't respond. He peered around the black clothed legs and located the cat by the fireplace. The teen crawled over to her, with the man following close behind.

He pet Kotsugai a few times, just to hear her purr before turning to the raven. "Karasu, sit," Akira urged. Once the man was where he wanted him, the teen climbed on top of him again. "P-present?"

Why that little shit. Shiki could feel the power Akira suddenly realized he had over the situation. "Of course." The raven produced a small, gray, bunny plushy and held it out to the teen. He wasn't used to giving things to people, so this was awkward. "I found it at the store when I was checking out. I saw it and thought you might want it."

He wasn't sure what exactly made him purchase it. Shiki had narrowed it down to Akira needing something to keep him company while he was away.

The younger male reached, with both hands, and slowly took the animal. He held the toy delicately in his hands, relishing in the soft velvety fur. "Call you…Usagi." Akira looked at the man and said, "Thank you, Karasu."

Shiki scoffed at the childish name for the toy. _Rabbit. His vocabulary needs work._ "You're welcome, Mutt," he said before gentle, silky lips pressed against his in an appreciative kiss.

Akira pulled away sooner than the man could react. "Usagi is Akira's? No take away?" he couldn't help to ask. Sometimes he had to share what was his and he didn't like to. Or Gunji would take it and burn it.

Still stunned, Shiki nodded as hegently ran his hand through the soft, fair hair. He liked kissing the teen and Akira started it anyway. Then, out of desire, he brought Akira's head forward, pressing his lips against his.

It was passionate and tender kiss. His lips covered the plump ones gently. Shiki didn't want to scare him away.

Surprised, Akira didn't move or react. He had only done this with Kau and that was only because they had seen Kiriwar and Gunji do it. It felt funny when they did it and they hadn't done it ever again. But he was finding that he liked it with this man. Slowly, the teen leaned into it.

The man broke away after a couple seconds. He looked at the teen skeptically but the younger male was just looking at him curiously. "That's called a kiss. When people like each other, that's how they show it."

The teen just nodded. He liked the man a lot. So far he hadn't hurt him for no reason at all or burned anything that he was attached to. He nuzzled the raven's neck before pulling back with a goofy grin on his face.

Seeing as the other male didn't care for what he said, Shiki changed the subject. "Since your bedding is soaked, you'll have to sleep out here."

"No." Akira needed to sleep with somebody. He had always slept in a room with another person, it was alien for him not to. "Sleep with Karasu," he offered.

Shiki shook his head. "You are not going to sleep in my bed. There is barely enough room for me. You'll sleep out here by the fireplace to keep warm. I don't have any more blankets."

Akira pouted at him before crossing his arms across his chest defiantly. "Akira sleep with Karasu," he insisted giving the man his puppy-dog eyes.

_It might not be such a bad idea. And it's only for tonight._ This could give him the chance to explore a little with Akira. "Only tonight. Tomorrow, you sleep in your bed."

=^.^=

After dinner and bathing, Shiki directed Akira to his side of the tiny bed, along with the feline curling up on the foot of the bed. "You're sure you want to sleep here? It won't be very comfortable." He didn't want to have to make the teen's bed at midnight because he felt like he had to sleep here.

"Yes, sleep with Karasu and Usagi." Akira climbed quickly onto the bed before the man changed his mind. "Karasu," the teen patted the space behind him as he laid on his side.

Sliding into the sheets, Shiki inhaled Akira's scent deeply. The raven pressed his nose into the fair hair and felt the teen freeze, then relax.

Being close to someone felt wonderful. He hadn't been very close to the man since he had been there and it made him happy that the raven allowed him to be close.

"Sleep now?" the younger one whispered while nuzzling into Usagi.

"Yes, Mutt. Just lay on your side, okay?" When he got a slow nod, Shiki gently ran his fingers through the light mop, lulling Akira to sleep.

As the raven turned over, he felt Akira shift and then press against his back. The teen fisted his shirt and hot breath ghosted over the nape of his neck. An hour or so later, Shiki ever so carefully turned around and held Akira to him.

* * *

*Kotsugai means beggar. I thought it was fitting since she begs to come in on rainy nights.

I hope you guys liked it...if so tell me in a REVIEW please!


	6. A New Home For Shiki

So I feel absolutely terrible for not writing faster. Life got in the way...as usual.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TnC

**Warnings: **Handjob, fluff

* * *

Akira shifted onto his side and nuzzled into the pillow beneath him. A shiver seized his body. He grabbed the man's hand and draped it over his side to be enveloped in his treasured heat.

The movement woke him from his light doze and realize how cold Akira's skin was. Shiki laid his chest against the teen's back, pressing him more completely into the mattress. Then, against the protest of Akira, he brought the blanket up to the teen's shoulders.

The feeling of the man behind him, so close and gentle made Akira's heart speed up. Just the closeness alone made him happy. It had been a long time since he had curled up into someone and was kept warm.

Shiki let his hand rub the smooth stomach softly and soothingly. He wanted Akira to stay asleep.

Just that reassuring movement and the fact that he could feel the other man's cock against his ass made Akira's cock swell. He moved to make himself more comfortable and in doing so the raven's hand brushed his erection, a gasp fell from his lips.

The raven was surprised slightly but pretended that nothing happened. If Akira was asleep then the teen would never know. But he was wrong.

The younger male grabbed the man's hand and placed it on his groin again, a low groan escaped his mouth. The raven's hand felt so wonderful there and he didn't want him to remove it.

Shiki shifted slightly to see Akira's face. "Sit up and I'll teach you." He lifted his hand and waited patiently for the fair haired teen to do as he asked. Then he sat directly behind him and cautiously took him out of his underwear. There were no growls but soft mewls of need. Akira was heavy and hot in his palm.

He took Akira's hand and wrapped it around himself. He hoped this way that it wouldn't be as perverted. He noticed that he secretly, perversely, wanted to watch Akira cum. Slowly he guided their hands up and down the teen's shaft.

Immediately Akira began to struggle since he wasn't used to so much pleasure. He tore his hand away from the man's grip and clamped his legs shut. This was not right.

"Mutt," Shiki said, his hand still firmly around Akira's cock. "Don't make me force your legs open. You won't like it." When he went to move his hand, the teen growled and snapped his teeth in his face. The raven flicked him in the nose, making Akira jerk away and flail his legs to keep his balance.

Akira growled as he rubbed his nose with his free hand once he was settled again. He looked down at what the man was doing to him. His pale hand was still on top of his own, making it move up and down his cock. Why was he doing that? It didn't matter as the raven swiped his thumb across the head and into the slit, a groan passed his lips.

The raven hooked the teen's knees over his, spreading Akira's legs obscenely. He pressed his forehead against Akira's shoulder, close to his neck, to block his view of himself jerking the teen off. This was so wrong. He could have handled this situation better. He could have put Akira in a cold bath or shower or even kick him out of the bed completely. But he hadn't done any of that, instead he chose to be a pervert.

The teen squirmed slightly and turned his torso towards the raven. He needed more skin to skin contact. His fingers slid down the man's tank top and immediately dived underneath. Then he buried his face into the raven's neck as the man began to work him.

Shiki made quick jerks, trying to get this over and done with. The teen didn't seem to be caring much for it until a muffled moan reached the man's ears. So the teen had been holding back.

Akira's hips jerked up and urged the man's hand faster. His nails scraped the raven's pale skin as he tried to bring the man closer.

Finally the teen's body tensed and white, sticky spurts of cum covered Shiki's hand and Akira's stomach. The teen went limp but clung desperately to the raven. "You feel better now, don't you?"

The teen nodded slowly. What had just happened? And why was he so tired? Suddenly he was being moved and he was gently laid against the mattress. The man was leaving the room. "Karasu," he whispered. He didn't say it desperately or whiney, just a sigh. His eyes drifted closed and he nuzzled into the blankets.

The raven came back from the bathroom with a washcloth. He noted that Akira was already asleep so he carefully cleaned him up and climbed into bed with him.

=^.^=

Shiki woke to Akira nuzzling into his stomach. He ran his fingers gently through the sleeping teen's hair. The fair haired male made a content noise as he shifted against the man.

The raven knew that today was the day he needed to move. He had been in this place for two weeks and he was getting paranoid. And now with Akira staying with him, he needed to protect him from Liners and even Arbitro.

A murmur from the teen made Shiki look at him. The unintelligible mutter came again before Akira whined sharply, his eyes shut tight, and fisted the raven's boxers. The man jerked back, jolting Akira awake with a grunt.

The teen's slightly wet eyes caught his in a sleepy glance before Akira pulled himself up the bed. "Karasu," Akira greeted.

"You need to get up. We're leaving today." Shiki sat up. "I'll make you some breakfast and then we're getting out of here." The raven slipped from the bed and began to pull on clothes before heading to the kitchen. "Mutt, get up or I'll throw water on you."

After a couple minutes, Shiki went to check on the teen with a glass of ice cold water. Akira was asleep, sprawled on the sheets, his legs spread invitingly. Shiki walked up to the bed, gazed at the sleeping face before dumping the water on it.

Akira sputtered harshly before wiping his eyes with his hands. He scowled at the man as the raven walked away.

"Get out of bed. I'll get you some clothes when breakfast is done," Shiki said over his shoulder. "Now, Mutt."

The teen got out of the bed and went into the bathroom. He dried his face off before relieving himself. Then Akira crawled into the kitchen to watch the man cook.

Shiki presented the teen with a plate of bite sized food that he could pick up with his fingers. He watched Akira climb into the chair and sit in it like a regular person. The raven couldn't believe that the teen had learned so quick.

The smaller male finished his breakfast and wiggled out of the chair. Then he crawled next to the raven and laid his head against the man's thigh. He could feel the tenseness rolling off him in thick waves.

"I have found a new place to live. We're going to move there this morning," the man said as he pet the teen's fair hair.

Akira nodded and pressed his wet, boxer-clad thigh against the man's dry leg. He needed new clothes.

"Let me get up and I'll grab you some clothes." Shiki stepped around the teen and then into the bedroom. Several seconds later he returned with a black shirt, boxers and his faded jeans. "Get dressed and then we'll head out." Tossing the clothes in Akira's general direction before looking over the room to make sure he hadn't left anything behind.

Several minutes later Akira was clinging to the man's back as he was transported to their new house. The teen nuzzled his nose into the raven's neck. The natural scent of the man mingled with the stench of sweat made Akira moan quietly.

Shiki smirked at the teen's noise. He turned right suddenly, making Akira clench him tighter. "Relax, we're almost there."

The teen nodded, his eyes slipping closed as the constant pound of the man's feet hitting the ground calmed him.

Several minutes later, Shiki slowed and began to ascend a flight of stairs. 12 floors later, he opened the door to a dark apartment. He deposited Akira on a dingy couch. "Stay."

Shooting the man an indignant look, Akira tested the raven's patience by leaning forward and almost falling on his face. When the man stalked over to him, Akira sat up straight and looked innocently at the raven.

Shiki flicked the teen in the nose. "Behave, will you?" The man walked away to scout out the kitchen and bedroom lighting and wiring. "I have to go turn the power on. Do not move from this spot."

When the man left, Akira slipped off of the couch and meandered through the new apartment. It was slightly bigger than the last one; it even had a second bedroom. Lights flickered on slowly. The only bulb in the bathroom exploded, showering the mildewed floor with sharp shards. Akira backtracked quickly into a bedroom.

He found a brilliant arched window and peered out. There were other buildings but they were shorter than the one he was in. The man found him with his face pressed against the glass.

"You just can't listen, can you?" Shiki growled from the doorway. He walked over to the teen and ran his fingers through Akira's hair. "You're going to get hurt if you don't listen to me." He just nuzzled his thigh. "Thanks for the apology, Mutt."

=^.^=

Kau had followed Akira's scent to a rather shambled place. Kiriwar was behind him, grumbling about how the stairs were going to cave in under his boots. He finally stopped climbing the stairs and made his way to an apartment door.

Kiriwar opened the door for the teen, noticing that Kau was scraping at it. "How the hell did he get in here? We never go into buildings with him," he mumbled to himself.

As they entered, the older man realized that the apartment had been vacated. There was nothing left but a couch missing a cushion and an empty can of tomatoes.

Kau was digging in the closet, the smell of Akira was potent there. After a couple minutes, he found out why. A tattered red shirt hung numbly in Kau's fingers.

That was how Kiriwar found him. "Come on, Pup. Let's go tell 'Bitro what you found." The man knew that Akira was still alive considering that he hadn't found any blood. "He's been dying for some news." Solemnly, he led Kau out of the house and back to the mansion.

* * *

Please review!


	7. Important Information Sorry

I know that you all hate Author's Notes but I need to clarify something real quick.

I DO NOT POST on DeviantArt. I can't navigate the site very well or the way the chapters are formatted.

So the person that is posting this story on DeviantArt has stolen my story and did not have permission to do so.

I thank Sebby for letting me know that Samantinasai took it. I have submitted a copyright infringement inquiry.

I thought that you guys should know.


	8. A Revelation

I'm sooooo sorry it took me soo long to post. I just moved into a new house and I've been swamped the past couple of months. Here's a new long chapter for you!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Togainu no Chi

**Warnings: **Graphic sex (it's at the end)

* * *

Akira sat next to the kitchen table, watching the man scrub the filthy floor. He wanted to help but he had only ended up spilling a bucket of water so he was in time out.

"Karasu?" he asked, placing a hesitant hand on the clean part of the floor. Akira jerked his hand away with a fierce glare from the raven. "Food?"

"No, not yet. When I'm done," he barked as he scrubbed exceptionally and unnecessarily hard. "Why don't you go wash up? I'll be done in a minute."

The teen crawled into the bathroom, which the raven had already cleaned, and stared at the sink. The porcelain fixture was above his head, even when he was on his knees. He whimpered as he tried to figure out how to clean himself.

Akira couldn't climb onto the toilet since it was on the opposite side of the room. Slowly, he pulled himself up by grabbing the edge of the sink. His legs weren't used to his weight and his knees buckled. A surprised yelp left his throat before he could stop himself.

The raven was in the room in a flash. "What are you doing?" Shiki questioned as he wrapped an arm around the teen's chest and pulled him against him. "Are you trying to kill yourself? You could've hit your head."

He pouted slightly. "Couldn't reach." Akira leaned slightly forward and turned the water on. He ran his fingers under the warm water. Being pressed up against the man felt wonderful and comforting.

When the teen was done, Shiki helped lower him to the floor. "Don't do that again. I'll have to figure out something for you to climb on." The raven started out of the room. "Let's get you some food." He placed his hand on top of Akira's head as they walked to the kitchen.

Akira sat outside the kitchen, his fingers playing along the edge of the linoleum. "Omurice?"

"No, not today. We're having water chestnuts and rice." It wasn't the most appetizing thing but it was the only food they had left since all the refrigerated food went bad. "I have to go shopping again soon." He placed the warmed food in a bowl. "Careful, it's hot," Shiki warned as he set it on the floor in front of the teen. "Try not to burn yourself while I'm out. I'll be back soon."

The teen gripped the man's pants before he got too far. "Careful." He let go and turned to blow on his food.

Shiki mussed Akira's hair before he went to the bedroom and left through the window.

=^.^=

Arbitro stared at the torn, red t-shirt in his hands. Akira was gone. And the person who had him was able to turn on the electricity. Most entrants didn't know how. The only ones that knew how were him, Kiriwar, Gunji, and Shiki. Someone must've learned.

"Where did you find this?" When Kiriwar told him, he blanched. "Did you find any blood? He…he's not dead, is he?" Arbitro's fingers tightened around the fabric.

"Not that I could see. I think whoever has him just redressed him. We didn't have him in the best clothes." Kiriwar fidgeted with his fingers. He didn't want Akira to be dead.

"That's good. There's a chance that he's still alive." Arbitro plopped down into his white, plush chair. "Go put Kau to bed. I'm sure he's tired." The teen made his way to the man and rested his head on his leg. "Go on now. I'll check on you later." With a pat to his head, Kau followed Kiriwar out of the room.

A couple minutes later, Arbitro went to his room and lifted Rin from his cage, holding him close to his body. "We may need you after all. Kau is going to need a new friend."

Rin nuzzled into the man's neck and was pleased when Arbitro sat down and began to read to him.

=^.^=

Kau didn't believe that Akira was dead or was gone forever. As soon as Kiriwar had left him alone, he pushed open the window and climbed out. He had to find Akira.

He followed his way back to the place where he found Akira's red shirt. There was no blood like Kiriwar said. Kau tracked the other male's scent to the window. He peered out and found a fire escape.

He followed it down and across the street. His scent was tangled with another, more potent scent. So someone did have him. Kau followed it for 17 blocks before it went into a building.

After climbing several flights of stairs, Kau looked at the door in front of him. Akira was in there. He pushed the door and surprisingly it swung open. It must not have latched all the way.

Cautiously, he went in. Almost immediately he spotted Akira and bounded towards him. He tackled the other male and pinned him to the floor.

The younger male growled and shoved the offending mass off of him. When he realized who it was, he got into Kau's face. He stared at the male, trying to figure out how he came to be here. A soft whine left his throat in joy.

Kau smiled before he pressed his face into Akira's neck. His back arched as he cried in relief. Akira was alive and safe and warm. Kau curled up in Akira's lap, his arms wrapped tight around the other male's waist.

Akira held Kau to him and nuzzled the fair locks. This body was familiar, comfortable. The thin frame fit easily against him, molded to him. He threaded his fingers into Kau's hair and felt the teen finally relax against him.

Several minutes later, Shiki came through the door. "What the fuck is this?" he hollered, startling Akira. "I leave for food and you let that damn rat in." At Akira's growl, the raven pushed by him. "Shut it before I do it for you."

Kau pushed past Akira and launched himself at the raven's stomach. This man took his brother away from him.

The raven was caught off guard and stumbled into the wall. "You stupid dog," he growled as he shoved him away. "Don't try that again, dog, or I'll hurt you."

Akira growled at the man as he covered Kau with his body. "Don't hurt him." The younger teen pulled Kau to his chest.

Scared of the raven, Kau pressed up against Akira again. He watched the raven from the other teen's shoulder.

Shaking his head at the teens, Shiki went into the kitchen. "He's Arbitro's pet like you. Those damn executioners will follow him here. He needs to go," Shiki said as he pointed at Kau. "Do you know how hard it was for me to find this place? The last thing I need is for those buffoons to come and destroy it."

Akira maneuvered Kau to sit next to him. "No." He went to the kitchen, making sure to keep off the linoleum. "Kau stays here," he explained at the raven's quirked eyebrow.

"I'm taking him back," Shiki said, effectively ending the conversation. He heard Akira start on the linoleum and he swiveled around to yell at him to get out.

The young man stopped and looked defiantly at the raven. "Kau stays." Akira turned around and made his way back to Kau.

Shiki stalked over to the teen, gripped the waistband of his pants and yanked him back. He knelt, and was able to grab Akira's chin and make the teen see the finality in his eyes. "He's going back. I will not move again because you want a damn pet." The raven growled when he saw the eyes were still determinedly defiant. "Is that understood?"

Akira shook his head. "Couple days?" he amended, hoping that the raven would agree to that.

"No." Shiki released his jaw and stood up. He was tired of this quarrel. The raven started for the kitchen when he felt a soft pat on the leg. "What?"

"Tonight?" he asked humbly. All he wanted was to spend time with his brother before he went home. "Please?" Akira was weary of begging the raven every time he wanted something. He dropped his head, waiting for that resounding no.

"Tonight only," Shiki reconciled. "I'm taking him back in the morning. The last thing I need is for that blonde bitch to start tearing this place to shreds."

A hoarse laugh left Akira's throat, startling him and the raven. When he was offered a glass of water from the man, he drank greedily.

"I need to make water more accessible to you when I'm gone." He dug around one of the cupboards and discovered a water bottle. "I'll wash it and you can use it for when I'm gone."

Akira nodded and went back to Kau. By the expression on his face, the entire conversation took the older teen by surprise. "His blood tastes good."

Kau shrugged. A blood taste wasn't a reliable indicator of personality. Just because the raven had good tasting blood didn't mean that he would treat Akira fairly and nicely.

The white haired male pressed his face into Akira's chest and slipped between his legs. His fingers knotted in the younger teens clothes and he buried his nose deeply into his shirt.

"I missed you, too," he murmured into the teen's hair. Akira listened to the steady sounds of Kau's breathing and the raven cooking.

=^.^=

Kau had learned to stay out of Shiki's way. The raven had no problem nudging or stomping at the older teen. He stayed close to Akira, who always sat outside of the room that the raven was in.

There wasn't much to do otherwise. Kau remembered Akira following Kiriwar throughout the house. He knew that the younger teen didn't like Gunji and that was why he stayed so close to Kiriwar. The man would protect Akira from the overenthusiastic blonde.

The two teens were wrestling in the front room while the raven washed his blood soaked clothes in the sink. The man was in nothing but his black boxer briefs. Kau nudged the younger teen in the shoulder with his head, knocking Akira into the couch. Soft growls and whines came from both teens.

"Bath time, Mutt," the raven called as he hung up the last of his clothes in the kitchen. He looked at the blood stained sink and quickly sprayed it down. There were a couple rust streaks that wouldn't wash away and he knew that it wasn't from him.

Akira used the couch cushion to pull himself away from Kau and to stand up. He held onto the couch as he staggered to the bathroom.

"God damn it," Shiki swore as he followed the teen into the bathroom. "Stop doing that. When you want to walk, let me know. The last thing I want is to clean up your bloody mess when you fall." The man started the water for the bath.

Kau was shocked, his mouth falling open. He poked his head around the couch, unsure if he was supposed to go. He watched as the raven held Akira's hips so the teen would be steady while he removed his shirt.

Shiki guided the teen to sit so he could slip his pants off. "Get into the bath. I'm going to get your friend. No walking."

The man turned toward him, his crimson eyes spooking him. They were much different than Akira's light blue, Gunji's bright blue, and Kiriwar's dark brown.

"Kau," Akira called from the tub. "Kau, bath time!" There was a slosh of water and the raven barked at him to stay in the tub. "Akira not stupid, Karasu," the teen mumbled. He had slipped, that's all.

The raven was close to Kau when he heard the comment. "Never said you were, Mutt." Shiki reached down and grabbed the teen by the collar. "Cooperate and this will go off without a hitch."

Once in the bathroom, Kau disrobed and climbed into the bath with Akira. It was normal for the two of them to be bathed together because Kiriwar hated to bathe them one at a time. At first, Akira would climb back into the bath with Kau, clothes and all. All it took was Gunji to swipe at Akira once when he tried to climb back in to dissuade him.

Shiki held out a washcloth to Kau. "Can you wash yourself?" At his urgent nod, the raven gave it to him. He took another washcloth and began to lather it up with soap, then pressed it against Akira's chest. Bath time went smoothly until Akira tackled Kau.

The teen went under the water easily as he was unsuspecting. He flailed, splashing water everywhere. Kau finally found solid ground when he pressed his back against the tub, his legs stretched out to the other side. Akira fit easily above him, the other teens body resting directly on him.

Soft licks were pressed against Kau's neck from Akira. The gentle show of affection made Kau realize that the younger teen had missed him.

A low growl came from the raven. He was soaked, his underwear stuck to his skin. "Get the hell out of the tub," he demanded. He didn't like Akira giving out affection like that.

"Walk?" He raised his hands to be helped up. The raven supported him as he awkwardly maneuvered out of the tub and onto the linoleum. Akira didn't shake himself dry.

"Here," the raven said as he handed him a towel. He held his hips to steady Akira as he patted himself dry. When he was done, Shiki secured the towel around his waist before sending him off to the bedroom.

He wasn't sure how to proceed with the other teen. "Are you finished?" Instead of an answer, Kau climbed out of the tub and took the towel out of Shiki's hand. "You are so much easier," he muttered to himself. He went to check on Akira.

The teen was sitting on the bed, pulling on a pair of pants. He looked up when he saw the raven out of the corner of his eye. "Bed for Kau?"

"I'll make your old one up for him." The bed was made in Shiki's room on Akira's insistence. Shiki had a feeling that the teen would sleep next to Kau tonight. He was not very excited about it.

After Kau was dressed, Akira showed him the bed that the raven had made. The older teen made himself comfortable and reached for Akira.

The teen looked at the raven, caught between the two males. He turned back to Kau and pressed a kiss to his forehead before climbing into the bed with the man. Shiki smiled in triumph.

Almost immediately after the bed dipped as Kau tried to follow Akira. The younger teen pressed his back against Shiki to make room for the other teen.

"No." There was no way that Shiki was going to be crammed in his own bed. He had made a perfectly good bed on the floor. "Go sleep in the bed I made." When his words had no effect on the teen, he pushed him off.

Akira growled as he turned to shoved the raven. Then he checked on Kau. He seemed fine. He tucked him back into bed and told him to stay there.

"I nudged him," Shiki explained when he received a glare from Akira. "It's not my fault he doesn't have great balance."

Akira stole his pillow from the bed and placed in the spot next to Kau. He lied down, tucked the older teen's head under his chin, and cradled him.

Shiki smiled, he had the entire bed to himself. He didn't even have to share it with Akira. He rolled over to see Akira peering at him, then the teen snatched the remaining – Shiki's – pillow from the bed and disappear from view.

Shiki was too tired to fight with him about a damn pillow. And he figured he deserved it…he did shove the older teen. He rolled away from the teens and drifted off to sleep.

=^.^=

"I said you're staying so you are staying here!" Shiki explained for the fourth time, pointing at Akira. "I can't transport both of you _and _keep you safe. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"No." Akira hauled himself up into a standing position using the couch. He took four steps, faltered and crashed to the floor. He had nothing to support himself on, unlike when he went from the bathroom to the bedroom. He could use the walls.

Shiki was tired of that word. No. Akira did not realize what danger he was putting himself – and Kau – in. "You can't even walk out of the room. Stay here. If not for me, do it for him." The raven pointed to Kau.

Akira conceded to the raven and hung his head low. He crawled over to Kau and pressed his face into his neck. "Bye." He pulled back with a small smile and placed a soft kiss to the corner of Kau's mouth. "Love you."

A sad smile crossed the teen's face and nudged Akira's cheek with his nose. Kau wrapped his arms tightly around Akira, his face buried in the younger teen's neck.

Akira pulled back and pressed a kiss to Kau's forehead. He nudged him toward the door and Shiki.

Shiki opened the door and held it for the teen. "Behave while I'm gone. I'll be back soon." He closed the door and locked it.

Immediately, Akira started for the bedroom and shoved the window open. He peered down at the fire escape. He could manage it…mostly. He lowered himself down onto the landing and descended the stairs.

About half way down, he caught sight of the raven heading underneath the fire escape. He stopped, hoping that the man wouldn't look up. The man passed without acknowledging him.

He began again and when he reached the sidewalk, Akira started after the raven. It didn't take long until the white mansion appeared in the distance. He kept far behind the man and stayed out of sight.

A block or so away from his home, Akira stopped and watched the raven disappear inside. At least now he knew how to get back to see Kau. He waited a while to make sure the raven was going to stay inside. He started to leave and head back home when a hand clamped down on his neck and yanked him up against a wall.

"I knew I couldn't leave you alone," Shiki said as he hauled him up and against a wall. "Why'd you follow me here?" The raven's hand tightened around the teen's neck when he didn't answer right away.

Akira scratched at the hand, his breathing quickening in fear. He didn't understand the man's anger towards him but he knew that he didn't deserve this.

The raven loosened his grip before he moved into Akira's personal space. "I need you to listen to me." He moved his hand to the teen's chin to keep Akira's eyes on his. "I'm trying to keep you safe." His anger diminished as quick as it had risen. Shiki pressed a soft kiss to the corner of the teen's mouth. He didn't mean to hurt him, just terrify him to make him listen. "And you make it damn near impossible."

The teen touched his mouth, astonished by the man's actions. "Again?" Akira leaned forward but the raven stepped back.

A smirk crossed Shiki's face. "Catch me first," he challenged before running off, towards the apartment.

After a few seconds, Akira threw himself after him. The thrill of the chase filled him with adrenaline, his body propelled through the streets at a quick pace. He could see the raven not too far away.

Shiki started at a jog, not wanting to lose the young man. He was headed towards the apartment but changed his direction when he heard a group of entrants. Shiki knew that Akira couldn't fight against them. He hauled himself up a fire escape to the top of the building.

When the raven scurried up the side of a building, Akira stopped beneath the fire escape. He couldn't reach the ladder. He began to crawl around the corner of the building when a man bumped into him.

The man yelled at him for being in the way and smacked Akira. Three more men came around to see the impending fight.

Akira recoiled before he lunged at the man and pinned him to the ground. He growled and bared his teeth in his face. "Don't hit me."

A flutter out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The raven had dropped down from the roof to join him. The three other men readied themselves for a fight.

Within seconds of landing, Shiki cut the entrants down. Blood sprayed across the two males. Akira was about to lick the blood off when the raven caught his wrist. "Don't. It's infected." He lifted the teen up and used his thumb to wipe some of the blood off his cheek.

The remaining man scurried away, frightened by the raven's show of dominance. Shiki was in no mood to chase after him. Shiki pulled Akira up onto his back and went back to the apartment.

Once home, Shiki ran a bath for Akira. He peeled out of his clothes, throwing them into the sink. The raven yelled at the teen several times when he tried to lick at the congealing blood on his arms.

Akira slipped into the tub and watched the water tinge pink. He watched as the man knelt in front of the tub saw the raven lean towards him and pressed a tentative kiss to his lips.

Shiki smirked under the teen's lips. He cupped Akira's head as leaned in further, pressing their lips firmer together.

The teen leaned away, effectively pulling the raven with him. The water splashed over onto the floor when the man's body slid into the tub. He clasped the man's hair to pull him closer and keep his mouth against his.

An exhilarating rush pounded through his veins and he tingled wherever the two of them connected. Their lips parted and the man's tongue slid past his teeth. He almost pulled away but the raven's hand was on the back of his neck.

Shiki tipped the male's head back, changing the angle. He pulled away to catch Akira's bottom lip in his teeth. The mewl that came from the teen made Shiki smirk and drop his lip. He sat back, letting the young man rest against the side of the tub. Akira seemed limp but he was watching him intently. The raven could feel the lust and need emanating from him.

Shiki took that pause to get a washcloth wet and soapy. He started to clean the soft, pale skin. The raven paid close attention to Akira's nipples and navel.

Akira's face flushed as wordless exhales escaped him. He moaned as the raven washed his inner thighs and thrust his hips at him involuntarily. Akira covered his face in embarrassment.

The raven tugged his hands away and pressed a harsh kiss to his lips. Shiki slipped his hand between the teen's legs and was rewarded with a gasp and a tremble. He smirked to himself. He released him to lift him up and steer him out of the tub.

Akira didn't want to leave the heat of the water or the raven's body. As soon as the man exited the tub, the teen pressed against him and searched for his mouth.

Growling, Shiki captured his lips as he gripped Akira's butt and lifted him. He brought him to their room and deposited Akira on the bed. He crawled over him and sucked a rosy mark on his neck.

The teen hooked his hands behind the man's shoulders and caught his legs on his hips. Akira pressed himself against him and relished in the friction. His breath escaped him in short, hot puffs against the raven's neck.

Shiki released his neck and nipped his way down his torso to Akira's nipples. He licked and sucked his right nipple, enticing moans and shivers. He blew on it just to watch Akira's body arc into his and the friction made them both cry out.

Akira kissed up his neck and found the spot just behind the raven's ear. He sucked gently and felt the man tremble against him.

The man pulled away to lap at the teen's navel, his body sliding down the bed. Then he moved to his hip and sucked harshly.

Akira pushed on the raven's head to guide him towards his need. "Please," escaped breathlessly and desperate.

Chuckling darkly, Shiki skirted the young man's erection to mouth his inner thigh. He paused to look at Akira's glassy eyes. "You don't tell me what to do." He then moved to kiss his right inner thigh.

Desperate and hot next to his face, Shiki turned his crimson eyes on Akira's weeping erection. He licked his lips in anticipation before lapping at the tip, catching a drop of pre-cum. The salty, heady mixture made him moan.

The young man's hips jolted at the touch, his hands finding purchase in dark locks. "Please." When the man finally swallowed him whole, he screamed in pleasure. It didn't take long for Akira to begin to reach climax and right before he was about to explode, the raven stopped.

Looking deviously at him, Shiki blew on his wet head while he rubbed just underneath it and watched his face as he climaxed.

Screaming out his overwhelming pleasure, Akira collapsed on the bed. He lazily reached for the man and his fingers grazed over the dark locks.

Shiki took his hand. "You feel good, don't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer. The nod of Akira's head made him smirk. "We're not done yet, Mutt." He took a swipe at the cum on the teen's quivering stomach. He gently eased his finger into him while ordering Akira to relax.

He immediately pulled away from the raven, whimpering into the sheets. His body was overly sensitive and the finger was uncomfortable. When the raven eased in another finger, Akira keened and shoved at him.

Shiki caught both his wrists in one hand and pinned them above the young male's head. He dropped his head to Akira's neck and nuzzled gently. "Relax, Mutt. It'll feel good in a bit. Trust me." He made a scissoring motion with his fingers and received a kick in the thigh. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he released the man's wrists to slap his ass.

Akira made a soft noise before the raven moved his fingers again and he buried his face in the man's shoulder. He breathed out a moan and arched as the raven pressed against a bundle of nerves inside him.

Once he found his prostate, Shiki eased a third and final finger into Akira and worked him open. He wiped the remaining cum off of the young man and smeared it along his own cock.

Easing in, Shiki watched as Akira's face went from sated to scrunched in pain. He hushed him, told him it would feel good soon. Once he bottomed out, he dropped to his elbows by Akira's head.

Akira clenched around the raven, trying to adjust to him. "Karasu," he breathed as he nudged his nose against the man's neck. His fingers scratched down the raven's back when he rocked his hips slightly.

Shiki moved his hips slowly, his body shaking in effort to control his need. Akira's legs fell just a bit wider as he grew accustomed to him. He pulled back, Akira releasing a shuddering moan and keening when he pushed back in.

The feeling of the raven within him was awkward, new, thrilling. He brought the man's face down and pressed hungry kisses to his lips. The pain was still there but it was blossoming into pleasure.

The raven picked up his thrusts and was hitting Akira's prostate with every thrust. They moved in tandem, Shiki groaning and Akira releasing breathy moans.

He was getting close and if the scratches on his back were anything to go by, Akira was too. Shiki thrust once more, teeth sinking into the teen's shoulder, and came.

Akira was sated and content. His eyes fluttered closed as he felt the raven pull out of him with an illicit pop. He vaguely sensed the man slid off him and the bed.

Shiki sauntered back over to him with a wet rag and began to clean him up. He took pride in each new mark he had left on the pliable body below him. He was proud of his work on Akira. He tossed the rag towards the bathroom, not caring if it actually made it there.

Coming down from his high, Akira was becoming aware of how cold the room was. He gripped and tugged the man's arm to get him into bed.

The raven rolled his eyes before he slid onto the bed and next to Akira. Carefully, he folded his arms about him as he settled in for an afternoon nap.

* * *

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